Dispensing container



June 25, 1968 J. RAMIS DISPENSING CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 2l, 1966 June 25, 1968 1 RAMls 3,389,833

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed OCT.. 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofce 3,389,833 Patented June 25, 1968 6,843 9 Claims. (Cl. 222-95) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dispensing container which comprises the combination of an outer enclosure formed of a uid and vapor impervious material having a dispensing valve at one end and an internal enclosure dimensioned to correspond with the outer enclosure in expanded position and formed of a foldable material, the inner enclosure being disposed within the outer enclosure to define an outer space between the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure and a separate inner space within the inner enclosure, a guiding means Within the inner enclosure for guiding the folding action of the inner enclosure between unfolded and folded positions in which the guiding means comprises a rigid member disposed axially within the inner enclosure and formed of a body portion having a plurality of fins extending outwardly therefrom, and a propellant uid in one of said spaces and the material to be dispensed in the other to achieve dispensing of the material responsive to the unfolding or folding action of the inner enclosure.

This invention relates to a dispensing container in which the material to be dispensed is separated from a fluid propellant.

Containers wherein the product to be dispensed is separated from a propelling gas by a plastic piston are well known. 'The container functions as a cylinder in which the piston is adapted to be displaced by a compressed gas such as nitrogen whereby the product is driven from the container until the container has been emptied.

There are a number of disadvantages in this type of construction, some of which are hereinafter set forth:

(l) To maintain a proper guided relationship and the desired degree of seal, the piston should be long and narrow whereby it detracts from the amount of space available for the product to be dispensed.

(2) The need to make use of a chemically inert cornpressed gas necessarily involves the disadvantages inherent in this type of gas, such as the gradual reduction in pressure as the space occupied by the gas is increased. To maintain satisfactory pressure from the beginning to the end, the compressed gas must occupy approximately 50% of the total volume of the container with the result that 50% of the total space less the volume of the piston remains for the product to be dispensed.

(3) In the event that the container becomes dented, the piston becomes immobilized and the container becomes incapable of use for its intended purpose.

Containers are also known wherein the product to be dispensed and the propelling gas are separated by a thin metal enclosure having the shape of a Chinese lantern with accordion pleated walls. The pressure of the propelling gas causes the lantern to fold or unfold, as required. This solution is expensive and a considerable amount of space is wasted.

Enclosures of many types and of a wide variety of materials are known, such as are formed of natural or synthetic rubber, plastics, plastic complexes, rubber and plastic complexes, and metal and plastic complexes, the metal in the latter case being a few hundredths of a millimeter thick.

Such enclosures are not absolutely impervious and they have not found commercial acceptance.

It is known also to make flexible enclosures from thin metal foils such as of aluminum having a thickness of 10 to l5 hundredths of a millimeter and which is deformable under pressure. Unfortunately, the pleats are formed at random and the result is a crumpling rather than pleating of the metal. This method often produces fractures at the intersections between the pleats whereby leakages occur to make the container useless.

It is an object of this invention to produce and to provide a method for producing a dispensing container wherein the product to be dispensed is separated from a propelling fluid by a thin enclosure within the container; in which optimum use can be made of the volume of the container for the housing of the material to be dispensed; in which the propelling fluid is maintained separate and apart from the product and which avoids fracture of the enclosure walls during use of the container.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 1-1 of FIG. 2 and shows a cylindrical container embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 4, showing a modification in a container embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view with portions displaced from their position of use to illustrate the construction of the container embodying the feature of this invention;

. FIG. 6 is a perspective View of a fragmentary portion of the container embodying the features of this invention with portions broken away to show the ribbed construction of the inner enclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

In the dispensing container of this invention, use is made of a guide which causes the inner enclosure to fold along predetermined lines when pressure outside of the enclosure exceeds the internal pressure.

The container fabricated in accordance with the practice of this invention comprises an external enclosure equipped with a dispensing valve and a thin inner enclosure disposed within the outer enclosure and dimensioned closely to mate therewith, and a guide which causes the inner enclosure to fold along predetermined lines when the pressure outside the inner enclosure is greater than the pressure therein.

In one embodiment of the invention, the guide is formed separate and apart from the inner enclosure and in another embodiment, the guide constitutes an integral part of the inner enclosure by way of reinforcement or stiffening elements formed therein.

For example, a guide may be formed of ns radiating outwardly from a central axis to provide a member which is star-shaped in cross-section and preferably in the form of a star having three fins or spangles radiating outwardly at an angle of about one from the other. The guide is located axially within the inner enclosure so that the wlall of the latter will be flattened against the surfaces of the tins when the inner enclosure is deformed by outside pressure.

In the alternative, ribs may be provided over the body of the inner enclosure with the ribs extending lengthwise through the inner enclosure in laterally spaced apart relation in which, in the preferred construction, three 3 f such ribs are provided in the walls of the inner enclosure spaced about 120 apart.

Referring now to the drawings, the container is of the type conventionally employed for aerosols and is formed with an outer enclosure 1 of cylindrical shape having a conical shoulder 2. The container is formed of a sheet or foil of a metai, such as aluminum or alloy of :aluminum which is oxidized or varnished. Instead, it can be fabricated of a different metal or of a plastic material in which the material f which the outer enclosure is formed should be selected to be fluid and vapor impervious. The ratio of height to diameter is generally selected to be as large as possible, consideration being given to the aesthetic effects land the stability of the container when stood on its base. For example, the ratio can be on the order of 3:1 or 4:1 although such values are not essential.

The container is formed with a separate base 3 and an integral valve 4. The inner enclosure is shaped to correspond to that of the outer enclosure 1 when in the extended position but of :a slightly smaller dimension to enable the inner enclosure to be inserted into the outer enclosure with gentle friction. The inner enclosure 5 is closed at its upper end by an end portion 6. The latter is generally flat when the inner enclosure is fabricated by a drawing operation and is connected to the cylindrical walls of the inner enclosure 5 by a frusto-conically shaped insert 7 having an angle :at the apex corresponding to that of the shoulder 2 of the outer enclosure The insert 7 may be rigid or flexible. In the example illustrated, the insert is preferably formed with the greatest possible flexibility. For this purpose, the end portion 7 has been formed to undulating shape, somewhat like a barometer capsule, as illustrated in FIG. 5, which enables it to be crushed or deformed until it assumes a completely reversed frustoconical position.

The bottom of the inner enclosure can merge into the bottom 3 of the outer enclosure. In such event, the walls of the inner enclosure will be included with those of the outer enclosure in a simple crimping operation, as shown in FIGS. l and 3. Instead, the bottom of the inner enclosure may be self-contained, that is, it may belong only to the inner enclosure, as illustrated by the base 6, 7.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1-5, the inner enclosure is combined with a rigid pleating guide which is axially disposed therein In the illustrated modification, the guide is fabricated of three ins 8a, 8b and 8c which radiate at an angle of 120 therebetween in a star shape. The ns may be flat or hollowed out. Since the circumference of a cylinder having a radius R is FXR, 1/3 of the circumference will measure 273 11-R or approximately twice the radius. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the portion of the wall of the inner enclosure located between the ends of the tins extending outwardly at an angle of 120 therebetween can be flattened to fit almost exactly against the fins radiating outwardly therebetween. In other words, in the folded position, the walls of the cylindrical inner enclosure 5 can be flattened almost exactly to lie against the three tins 8a, 8b and 8c whereby the internal volume within the inner enclosure becomes negligible.

In the modification illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, instead of being provided with separate pleating guides, the inner enclosure is equipped over its cylindrical walls with axial ribs, such as the three ribs 9a, 9b and 9c, spaced one from another 4by an amount corresponding to an angle of 120 therebetween. In the event that the cylindrical section of the inner enclosure 5 is made by a drawing operation, the ribs can be formed in the walls of the enclosure merely by providing a die having three correspondingly spaced notches or grooves arranged about the outer edge of the orifice. Instead of being formed in this manner, the ribs can be provided by folding portions of the Wall to give a local accumulation of metal which operates to stilfen and reinforce at the guiding members.

The method of lling and using the container is as follows: i

The elements 1, 2 and 4 of the outer enclosure, without the base 3, are placed upside down. Either the ribbed inner enclosure 5 or the enclosure equipped with a pleatin g guide is inserted into the outer enclosure.

A propelling gas, such for example as a gas which can be liquefied at ordinary temperatures and under moderate pressure, and preferably dichlorodiuromethane or other freon, is introduced into the inner enclosure in the liquid phase after precooling the elements to the desired temperature to permit this operation to 'take place. The base 3 is then crimped, either by joining the wall 5 of the inner enclosure and the wall 1 of the outer enclosure in one and the same crimping operation, or else by crimping a separate base onto the inner enclosure and another onto the outer enclosure. i

Having reached this stage and checked the unit for vapor tightness, the container is ready for lling with the product to be dispensed. Filling may be effected, for example, by means of a volumetric pump which forces the desired quantity into the container through the valve at a pressure greater than that prevailing within the container.

The material thus inserted passes between the inner walls 1, 2 ,and 3 of the the outer container and the walls 5, 6 and 7 of the inner enclosure. It deforms the walls of the inner enclosure which curve inwardly and gradually fold without any fractures while the dichlorodiuoromethane or other propelling fiuid contained within the inner enclosure is gradually liquefied. The upper cone 7 and possibly the lower cones are reversed to leave a maximum amount of space between the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure for receiving the product to be dispensed.

Once the container is thus filled, pressure applied to the valve 4 will operate to communicate the product to be dispensed with the atmosphere and the pressure exerted by the propellant Huid confined within the inner enclo sure will cause product to be ejected through the valve.

Since the inner enclosure can occupy substantially the entire amount of space available within the outer enclosure, the product to be dispensed can be expelled until emptied from the container.

In a modified arrangement, the product to be dispensed can be placed within the inner enclosure while the propeiling Iuid is confined in the space between the inner enclosure and the outer enclosure. In such event, the space within the inner enclosure will communicate with the valve 4.

` It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a new and novel dispensing container in which maximum utilization can be made of the space available for the housing of the material to be dispensed and wherein the dispensing operation can be effected by forces continuously available within the container and which embodies means whereby the elements of the container can be folded or unfolded in a guided lrelationship to minimize the danger of forming cracks and to maximize the utilization of space.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement and ope-ration, without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as `defined in the following claims.

1. A dispensing container comprising the combination of an outer enclosure of a uid and vapor impervious material, a dispensing valve sealing one end of the enclosure, an internal enclosure of substantially the same dimension and shape as the outer enclosure and formed of a `foldable thin metal sheet o-r foil, said inner enclosure being disposed within said outer enclosure for separation of an outer space between the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure from the inner space within the inner enclosure, means for guiding the folding action of the inner enclosure between unfolded and folded positions within the outer enclosure and in which t-he means for guiding the folding action of the inner enclosure comprises a rigid member axially disposed within the inner enclosure having a body portion with tins extending outwardly in laterally spaced apart relation from said 'body portion into approximate communication with spaced portions of the inner enclosure, and a propellant tluid in one of said spaces with the material to be dispensed a-dapted to be received in the other with the dispensing valve communicating with the space housing the product to be dispensed.

2. A dispensing container as claimed in claim 1 in -which the propellant fluid is in the inner space and the material to -be dispensed is adapted to be -received in the outer space whereby t-he inner enclosure will 'be displaced to folded position when the outer space is filled with the material to be dispensed and in which the valve communicates with the outer space.

3. A dispensing container as claimed in claim 1 in which the propellant uid is in the outer space and in which the material to be dispensed is adapted to be received in the inner enclosure in unfolded position and in which the valve communicates with the inner space.

4. A dispensing container comprising the combination of a outer enclosure of a fluid and vapor impervious material, a dispensing valve sealing one end of the enclosure, an internal enclosure of substantially the same dimension and shape as the outer enclosure and formed of a foldable thin metal sheet or foil, said inner enclosure being disposed within said outer enclosure for separation of and outer space between the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure from the inner space within the inner enclosure, means for guiding the folding action of the inner enclosure between unfolded and folded positions within the outer enclosure, and a propellant lluid in one of said spaces with the material to be dispensed adapted to be received in the other with the dispensing valve communicating with the space housing the product to be dispensed and in which the Ameans for guiding the inner enclosure between folded and unfolded position comprises a star shaped member disposed within the inner enclosure with the fins of the star radiating outwardly from the center into approximate communication with the spaced portion of the inner enclosure.

5. A dispensing container as claimed in claim 4 in which the star is formed with three fins radiating outwardly fromthe center at an angle of about therebetween.

`6. A dispensing container as claimed in claim 4 in which the fins are spacer about 120 apa-rt to subdivide the inner enclosure into three fold sections.

7. A dispensing container as claimed in claim 4 in which the fins comprise wall portions of increased crosssection.

8. A dispensing container vas claimed in claim 4 in which the guide means forms an integral part of the inner enclosure.

9. A -dispensing container as claimed in claim 1 in which the inner enclosure is sealed at its outlet and adjacent the valve with a flexible conically shaped cover and in which t-he conically -shaped end portion is capable of deformation to extend inwardly and outwardly of the inner enclosure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,873,817 8/1932l Buddenhagen 222-95 X 2,723,779 1l/l955 Parker et al 222-107 3,097,766 7/1963 Biehl et al Z22-386.5 X 3,158,296 11/1964 Cornelius Z22- 386.5 3,285,473 l1/1966 fFuhrmann 222-107 FOREIGN PATENTS 30,664 8/ 1844 Germany.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner. 

